Just when a new stadium will be built is a question.
The National Football League’s Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder appears no closer to building a new stadium than he was about four years again when Bruce Allen was running his business and talked about a timeline to build a stadium that would see that stadium open as Snyder’s lease at the Landover, Maryland stadium the team uses ended in 2027. Of course that was before Allen got caught up with exchanging disparaging emails with Jon Gruden, before the allegations of sexual harassment and a toxic workplace environment in Snyder’s business came out and before Congressional panel wanted to know more about the various allegations against Snyder and some of his former employees. It was before the NFL investigated Snyder’s business and handed out a $10 million fine against the owner but did not release the report’s findings to the public.
Snyder has a lot of baggage but that has not stopped politicians in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia from attempting to throw money at Snyder in an attempt to lure his business into their city or states. And the team president Jason Wright is optimistic that a deal will be done soon. “I think we’ll still be able to hit our timeline. It’s gonna take hard work. We definitely have to be at a full-sprint pace, but we’ll get there.” But no one seems to know what the timeline actually is. Is it 2027 or will the team have to stay in Landover a few more years? Earlier this year, Virginia elected officials seemed to be ready to give Snyder money for a stadium-village but Snyder’s toxicity is a problem and Virginia lawmakers have taken a step back. Maryland would provide infrastructure money but no stadium construction financing. Washington, DC would like the team but land availability is a problem and then there is the Snyder problem.
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